Railway truck



Dec. 31, 1935. E, s, BCKE'TT RAILWAY TRUCK Filed Jne 6, 19.31

2 'sheets-shed 1 Dec. 31, 1935. E. s. BECKETTE 2,026,014

RAILWAY TRUCK Filed une e. 1931 2 sheets-sheet 2 A .FEL V1.1 1 L 4tion relative to the truck frame.

Patented Dec. 31, 1935 PATENT l oFjElcE 2,626,014 aAmwY TRUCK Edmund s. eekette, VEma st. noms, nl., assigner to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill., a corporation of Delaware i Application Juna, 1931, serial No. 542,671

17 Claims.

This invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists in a novel truck structure andparticularly in the arrangement of the bolster and swing hangers therefor andiof means for guiding and supporting magnetic track brake shoes.

In the usual truck construction, a spring plank is suspended on hangers secured to convenient truck frame parts. ly mount thebolster, are supported on the ends of the spring plank with the result that lateral forces imparted to the bolster in rounding curves, etc., are transmitted through the elliptic springs to the spring plank, causing the springs to tilt and giving the bolster an uneven or jerking mo- This tilting also causes the spring retaining lugs on the bolster,

and the spring bands to become rounded necessitating occasional replacement.

One object of the present invention is to simplify the construction of a truck and decrease the weight thereof by eliminating the springl plank. Another 'object is to improve the riding qualities of the truck and relieve the elliptic springs of lateral forces by supporting the elliptical springs dire'ctly on hangers suspended from thel truck transoms and providing the bolster with 'dependingjaw or guide elements located on each side of the hangers through which lateral forces are transmitted directly to the bolster independently of the springs and thereby avoiding undue wear on the spring bands and retaining lugs.

Another object is to provide simple and stable means for mounting and guiding `magnetic brake equipment. This feature is 'shown and claimed in a co-pending application Serial No. 625,326, led July 28, 1932, in the name of the present inventor and constituting a division of the present application.

These general objects and other detail objects are attainedv in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top view`of a longitudinal half of a truck embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is, in part, a side view oi the same, the right half being a vertical section on the longitudinal center line of the truck.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse half section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view of the bolster.

Figure 5 is, in part, a side view of the bolster,

the left half being a vertical section taken on the y Figure 7 is a side view of a modified forni of the i Elliptic springs, which direct-- (c1. s-19o) invention showing the spring hanger and spring 4in section. v

Figure 81s an end view of the same showing the Figure 9 is a top view of the same tion of the frame broken away.

Figure 10 is a horizontal section through the equalizers and one oi the pedestal legs and. is taken on line I Il-I of Figure 2.

The truck frame shown is arranged for mount- 10 ing an electric motor and includes side members I and transoms 2,l having a transverse opening. therebetween for receiving an inverted U-shaped bolster 3, and gussets 43l extending between the transoms and side frames and having brake hanger lugs I9 depending therefrom. Spring caps 4 are formed integral with the under sideof side members I for receiving coil springs'i which rest upon seats I6 secured to equalizers 6,

the equalizers. in turn being carried upon axle journals 1 through the usual journal boxes (not shown) Motor support brackets 3| depend from the transoms.

A pair of U-shaped hangers 9, having their ends pivotally secured in eyes I0 of transoms 2 mount 25 bearing blocks II upon which rest the lower bands I2 of elliptic springs I3. Block II is provided with retaining lugs I Ia and renewable liner IIb. Thebolster rests upon the upper spring bands I4 which jare inserted between retaining 30 lugs I5 ony the underside of the bolster.

The bolster hasfour depending jaw or guide elements I1 at each end, pairs of the elements being disposed in planes extending longitudinally of the truck and on opposite sides of the corre- V sponding bearing block I I and serving to transmit lateral thrust from the vswing hangers directly` to the bolster or vice versa. Renewable liners or wear plates I Ia are'applied as shown. 'Ihe elliptic springs I3 are disposed transversely of the 40 truck between pairs of jaw elements I'I located in transverse planes at each side of the bolster. Each spring unit I 3 is illustrated as composed of a.A pair of elliptical springs, but it will be understood that each unit might include various combinations of single springs according to the weight of the vehicle supported or coil springs may be used instead of elliptic springs. Moreover, a single pair of 'jaw elements I1- might be substituted, and these could be located between a pair of spaced springs, if desired. y

The truck is equipped formounting the usual air brakes for frictionally engaging wheels I8 and including brake headsand shoes (not shown) which are suspended from lugs I9 formed integral 65 with gussets di. Provision is also made for an auxiliary magnetic track brake system which in- Y cludes a pair of brake shoes 20 extending longitudinally befween wheels I8 on each side of the truck and disposed to boar against the rails during application A magnetic coil, indicated at 2i in Figure 3, is located between the shoes and provides magnetic ux for attracting the rail.

Each brake impelled to and from the rail by rods 23 connected to the brake at each end and operated by air applied to pistons within cylinders 22. The pistons are raised by springs when the air pressure is removed. Each cylinder 22 is supported on a Z-shaped bracket 24 mounted on a magnetic brake shoe guide bracket 25. Bracket 25 is secured to the adjacent equalizer 6 by bolts 2t and has longitudinal guideways 27 provided with wear plates 28 for bearing directly against the brake shoes. Bracket 25 has horizontal reinforcing ribs or flanges 29 extending partially therearound. The bracket 25 is secured to equalizers so that the distance of the magnetic brake shoes from the rails will be unaiected by spring action caused by irregularities in the rails.

In order to prevent tilting of the journal boxes or slippage between upper surface of -journal box and underside of equalizers lwhen the magnetic brake is applied, a stop d1 is provided to engage the vertical surface 48 on the pedestal leg 69. 'Ifhis arrangement permits relative vertical movement between the equalizers and pedestals and carries the magnetic braking forces from tine'` equalizers through the pedestal legs and then to the sides of the journal boxes. cured to equalizers S by bolts all. d

ln the modiiication illustrated in Figures 7, 8, and 9, each magnetic brake shoe guide bracket 32 is formed integral with a motor supporting bracket 33 depending from truck transom 35. No connection is made with equalizers 3e.

The motors (not shown) are supported from bars 3% which are resiliently mounted on brackets 33 through springs indicated at 31. Each bracket 32 extends downwardly and outwardly from bracket 33 and forms a U-shaped guide having horizontally disposed legs engaging opposite sides of magnetic brake shoes 38. Horizontal reinforcing ribs 39 extend partially around the U-shaped portion of the guide bracket and renewable wear plates 60 bear directly against the brake shoes. Brake manipulating cylinder 44 is carried on an angle 46 secured to the outer side of bracket 33 by bolts 45.

Figure 8 clearly illustrates the arrangement of gusset 4I extending across the corner between the transom and side member 43 and from which depend brake hanger lugs 42. These and other features of the truck, except the brake shoe guideways, correspond with the form previously described.

The elimination of the spring plank lessens the weight of the truck and provides additional space -for truck flxtures such as brake equipment. Moreover, the novel arrangement of bolster, spring hangers, and springs results in the application of vertical forces only to the springs and consequently increases the life of the springs and improves the riding qualities of the truck.

Obviously, the embodiment of the invention is not limited to the exact details of the forms disclosed, but the structures might be modified in various other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of all such modications as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

The stop il is seaoaaois l claim:

l. In a railway truck, the combination of a transversely swinging hanger having a lower bearing member, an elliptic spring supported by said hanger and extending across the truck. and 5 a bolster supported on said spring. said bolster having engagement with said bearing member to transmit lateral forces between said hanger and said bolster without transmitting said lateral forces through said spring.

2. In a railway truck, a frame member, a U- shaped swing hanger pivotally secured to said member, a bearing member rotatably mounted on the cross bar of said hanger, an elliptic spring carried by saidbearing member and a bolster 15 supported on said spring, saidv bolster having elements depending at opposite sides of and engaging said bearing member to guide the latter and I adapted to permit relative vertical movement be` j tweenV said bearing memberand bolster, said 20 elements serving to transmit lateral forces between said hanger and said. bolster without transmitting -said lateral forces through said spring.

3. In a railway truck, a frame member, spaced 25 U-shaped swing hangers pivotally secured to said member, renewable bearing blocks in said hangers, each having spaced upstanding spring retaining lugs and depending projections for engaging a hanger cross bar, a bolster having 30.

member and including a transverse element and a bearing block rotatably engaging said hanger, a spring supported on said block, and a bolster supported by said spring and having elements engaging said block beneath said spring, said bearing block being adapted to maintain the same angular relation to said bolster elements in order to hold said spring in an upright position during the swinging movement of said hanger.

5. In a railway truck, spaced transom members, a hanger pivotally secured to said mem- 50 bers near their ends and arranged to swing transversely of the truck, an elliptic spring mounted on said hanger, and a bolster supported on said spring and connected to the lower portion oi' said hanger to position said hanger transversely of the truck i 6. In a railway truck, a frame member, spaced swing hangers each consisting of a U-shaped link pivotally secured to said member, springs supported on said hangers, and a bolster supported on said springs, said bolster having depending elements at each end, on opposite sides of each of said hangers serving to transmit lateral forces betweenv said. hangers and said bolster.

7. In a railway truck, spaced transoms, U- shaped hangers pivoted to both of said transoms at adjacent ends and inclined downwardly and outwardly from their pivots, the cross bars oi said hangers having rounded upper faces, vbear- 70 ing blocks resting on said cross bars and concave to t said faces and having straight sides, springs carried on said blocks, and a bolster extending between and carried on said springs and having depending legs slidably engaging opposite 'is straight sides of said blocks to transfer side thrusts between said bolster and hangers irrespective of said springs.

8. In a railway truck, spaced frame members, a pair of swing hangers pivoted to said members in spaced relation transversely of said truck, each of said hangers comprising a pair of elements inclined downwardly and outwardly from their pivots and a cross bar extending between the lower portions of said inclined elements, said cross bar having a rounded upper face, a bearing block resting on each of said cross bars and rounded to iit said face and having straight sides, springs carried on said bearing blocks, and a bolster extending between and carried on said springs and having depending legs adapted to slidably engage the opposite sides of said blocks to transfer side thrusts between said bolster and hangers irrespective of said springs.

9. In a railway truck, a frame member, a pair of swing hangers pivoted to said member in spaced relation transversely of said truck, each pair of said hangers being inclined downwardly and outwardly from their pivots and carrying a bearing element at their lower ends, springs carried by said bearing elements, and a bolster extending between and carried on said springs and having depending legs adapted to slidably engage said bearing elements to transfer side thrusts between said bolster and hangers irrespective of said springs, the inclination of said hangers providing initial lateral resistance between said bolster and swing hanger.

10. In a railway truck, a U-shaped swing hanger device, a spring seat member unstably carried solely thereby, a spring supported by said member, and a bolster supported by said spring, said bolster having parallel elements slidably engaging oppositely facing elements on said spring seat member to stabilize the same and said spring relative to said bolster.

11. In a railway truck, a frame member, a hanger pivoted thereon and having a bearing element, a spring seat rotatably carried solely by said bearing element, a spring mounted on said seat, and a bolster supported on said spring and engaging said seat to stabilize the same during swinging of said bolster.

12. In a railway truck, a frame, spaced swing hanger devices pivoted on said frame and each including a lower bearing element, a spring seat symmetrically carried on each of said bearing elements, springs carried by said seats, and a bolster supported on said springs and having elements 5 for directly connecting said spring seats when said bolster moves laterally to relieve said springs of lateral forces.

13. In a railway truck, a frame member, a swing hanger pivotally carried by said member, a spring seat rotatably and symmetrically carried by said hanger, a spring mounted on said seat, a bolster supported on said spring, and elements o'n said bolster engaging said seat beneath said spring to stabilize said seat and relieve said spring of lateral forces.

14. In a railway truck, a frame member, a swinging support device depending therefrom and having a lower bearing element, a spring unstably carried by said element, and a bolster carried by said spring, said bolster having an element engaging said device beneath said spring to stabilize said spring and relieve the same o'f lateral forces.

15. In a railway truck, a frame member, a, swinging support device depending therefrom and having a lower bearing element, a spring unstably carried by said element, a bolster carried by said spring, and an element projecting from the body of said bolster and engaging said device beneath said spring to stabilize said spring and relieve the same of lateral forces.

16. In a railway truck, a frame member, a swinging support device depending therefrom and having a lower bearing element, a yielding structure carried by said element, a bolster carried by said yielding structure, and an element projecting from the body of said bolster and engaging said device beneath said spring to stabilize said spring and relieve the same of lateral forces.

17. In a railway truck, a frame member, swinging links suspended therefrom, a bearing unstably mounted on said swinging links, a yielding structure carried by said bearing, a bolster carried by said yielding structure, and means transferring forces, exerted transversely of the truck, between said swinging links and said bolster independently of said yielding structure.

EDMUND S. BECKETIE. 

